Germany Archives

August 01, 2012

Polish Resistance Fights to Liberate Warsaw

On August 1, 1944, Polish resistance fighters rose up against the occupying Nazi armies in an attempt to liberate Warsaw. The uprising was intended to coordinate with Soviet advances from the east, but the Soviet armies stopped short and the Germans were able to regroup. After 63 days of fighting, the Poles were crushed and Germany set about destroying Warsaw. Send to a Friend| Permalink

World War I Breaks Out in Europe

Sparked by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in June 1914, war broke out between Serbia, Austria-Hungary, Germany, Britain, France, and Russia. The Great War featured a showdown between the world's two greatest navies, Britain and Germany, and drew the U.S. out of isolationism. Send to a Friend| Permalink

Stauffenberg Leads Hitler Assassination Attempt

On July 20, 1944, Lieutenant Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg successfully detonated a bomb in a meeting between Hitler and other top Nazi leaders. The plot, featured in the Tom Cruise film Valkyrie, was the culmination of efforts by officers who felt Germany was being led to disaster and that Hitler had to be removed from power. Send to a Friend| Permalink

Hitler's Bloody Overnight Power Grab

On the Night of the Long Knives, June 30, 1934, SS and Gestapo men arrested Hitler's opponents throughout Nazi Germany. In the morning, Hitler gave the order to execute the arrested men and effectively removed all opposition to his taking complete power. Send to a Friend| Permalink

Alllied Airlift Saves Starved West Berlin

In late June 1948, the U.S. Air Force and Royal Air Force began supplying necessary supplies like food, coal, household goods and more to the people of West Berlin. The former German capital lay wholly in Soviet-controlled East Germany, and the Soviets had cut off land and water connections between Berlin and U.S.-controlled zones. The USAF and RAF combined to deliver 2,326,406 tons of goods on 278,228 flights. Send to a Friend| Permalink